


Legend in the Making

by UntappedChaos



Series: Pulling Strings [1]
Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crazy Pairings Abound, Demon!Kagome, F/M, Gen, KagOC, Screwing the Time-Space Continuum, Sesskag - Freeform, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-16
Updated: 2013-01-17
Packaged: 2018-12-26 05:12:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12052038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UntappedChaos/pseuds/UntappedChaos
Summary: A Pyrrhic victory wins the Shikon Jewel back from Naraku... but with almost everyone she cares about dead, Kagome carelessly prays to Midoriko's soul inside the Jewel: "Shikon no Tama, to Midoriko I make my plea — do thy will, but please change something for the other me…"Then she opens her eyes, and realizes that her wish may have strangely, mysteriously, wonderfully and tragically come true.  If she can sacrifice one version of her soul — herself, and all her memories — to save the future, isn't that just what she'll have to do?





	1. Wish

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha// its franchise. Merely appropriating it's materials for a bit of amusement.
> 
> Please treat the first several chapters gently; I just realized the first one is from 2011, and it's hurting my feelings a bit. ;v; Unless I dove in for a major rewrite there are too many things I can't fix, so I'll be leaving it (at least mostly) as it was originally written.
> 
> With that in mind, I hope all of you will enjoy this story. <3

It was no bigger than a marble.  Small, pink-violet, rolling around on her hand and sparkling so innocently. 

She cursed this little piece of chaos.

Around her was the devastation of the battlefield — the village was gone, everyone dead but a few of the youkai that had assisted them.  All because of this tiny bauble that lolled across her palm as she tilted it.

Fate.  Chaos.  Past.  Future.  She cursed, hated, despised it all.

And then cried.  Cried with all the regret and anguish she had.

For every story her gramps had told her, she had experienced its reality and terror.  The fear of the supernatural, the sting of rejection, the hopelessness of falling in love, and now this.  Death and destruction.  The smell of poison, fire and flesh — the sight of the devastated lands and fields, and mutilated corpses.  Because she had returned to this era.

Inuyasha was using the Tessaiga to stand.  He was staring at the bodies of their enemies, and even more gruesome, the bodies of their friends.  Sesshoumaru appeared to be mourning quietly the loss of his dragon, as he stroked the singed mane.  Kouga was pulling a bloody Ayame from beneath the lifeless bodies of Ginta and Hakkaku.  Miroku and Sango lay together, dead.  Kirara had protected their remains until she also had died.  Shippo now cried helplessly at their sides, wanting to touch, yet unable to.

Dirt.  Blood.  Fragments of wood, clothing, beasts and men, with flames flickering on the only plant life that was left.  The priestess glanced down at the petite little bead in her hand.  It glimmered at her, like a child giving a bright, innocent smile.  Her body trembled.

In this moment, if it were a child, she might’ve killed it.

Her hand clasped around the burden, and pressed it to her chest.  She feared it, hated it, and this was her reaction.  She held it even tighter.

She remembered the day she dropped through the Bone-Eater’s Well.  Discovered her powers, subjugated a half-demon, saw her first battle and victory, and the bloodshed that came with it.  She remembered every crossing — what had come before and after — and she wished.

Deeply, with all her complete and pure soul.

_“Shikon no Tama, to Midoriko I make my plea — do thy will, but please change something for the other me…”_

It sparkled sweetly, and then the light expanded into a glow that stroked her skin almost tangibly.  It flowed over her like laughter, like water—as though it hadn’t a care in the world, and suddenly, she couldn’t really hate it any more.  She was sure she heard Inuyasha shout, but if he was actually saying something beyond trying to stop her, she couldn’t tell.  Whatever the Jewel did now, she wouldn’t protest.

She didn’t look up.  She just… ceased to exist.

 

***

 

Kagome was sure she’d been outside just a second ago.  But apparently she was inside now, however it was she’d got there, and briefly noted that it was definitely not Kaede’s hut.  The room was clean, and though the furniture was sparse, all the trappings were expensive.  To one side was a kimono fit for a princess, and atop a small vanity there were intricate articles of makeup and a simple, silver-gilded hand-mirror.  Even as she adjusted to her surroundings though, she noticed something entirely unpleasant. 

Well… that was really a gross understatement.

Behind her, on a light cotton curtain, an oil lamp cast the silhouette of a man above her, his sword raised.  Spots of blood were still wet upon the curtain, a sickly sweet metallic smell that tickled her senses.  A whistle of air…

The priestess surprised herself when she avoided the attack so neatly, the wood splintering slightly at the power of the weapon that had abused it.  Out of nothing more than the instinct to defend herself, she grabbed the hand-mirror from the dresser, and swung it with all her might into the samurai’s unprotected face.  In a sort of slow motion, she watched his handsome features marred with rage twist gruesomely with pain and blood; when he fell away, she didn’t even think about looking at his face to see the damage she’d done.

Blood was now seeping into her clothes, but it didn’t bother her.  It was just a few more stains, ruining another of her school uniforms, though this one was almost destroyed anyway, since she’d recently been in a battle.  To her victim, she gave an unpleasant sentiment in place of last rights: “Go to Hell or Heaven, wherever it is bastards like you belong.”

She stood and moved around his body, looking beyond the blood-speckled curtain to see his victims for the first time.  A woman and child.  She threw the heavy little hand-mirror at his head without looking back, taking satisfaction in the dull _thwump_ that signaled she’d hit her target.  “Never mind.  Just go straight to Hell.”

She ignored the way her voice sounded a little hollow and distant, thinking nothing of it.

A fire was eating at the curtains, already lapping against the ceiling, since they’d knocked over the oil-candle in their scuffle.  She wrapped the baby’s body in a blanket, making a sling for it against the front of her body before hauling the princess’ corpse up on her back, warm blood seeping through the fabric of her shirt to stick messily on her skin.

Any exit would’ve done, but a Southern-facing window was the closest at hand, and she took it as her best bet; and though the corpses were surprisingly light, it was still a little difficult to get out.  Truth be told, she wasn’t sure why she was saving a couple of cadavers anyway.  Maybe it was her humanity speaking.  She couldn’t say that cremation sat well with her at all.

However, just as quickly as that idea occurred to her, she cast it aside.  Kagome knew terribly well when it was pity moving her and this certainly wasn’t one of those occasions.  She just felt like it.  So she did.

The snow wasn’t nearly as cold as she’d thought it would be, even though her shoes had apparently gotten lost somewhere in the fracas.  She was jogging lightly towards the woods in only a few moments, and after a minute or so, she realized that the burden she was carrying caused so little strain that it was very nearly unnoticeable.  This, tied with all the other oddities she’d noticed, led Kagome to a single conclusion.

This had to be a dream.

Because, though her feet were cold, they had yet to go numb; and though she was carrying her overstuffed backpack, a full-grown woman and a baby, she still felt unburdened and light as the falling snow.  Killing a human wasn’t like her, either — not feeling guilty about it even less.

In thirty seconds, the last ten minutes had gone from seeming bewilderingly real to unbelievably fake.

Kagome picked up her pace, from a light jog to an easy run, and from there, she started a sprint.  Maybe she was riding Inuyasha’s back now, and was only dreaming that she was running in accordance with that.  Powdered snow whispered and puffed around her feet, the only background noise being the crackling of fire and breaking of timbers in the distance, along with the screams of those caught in the unfortunate blaze.

Then she was aware of him.

It’d been almost tickling the edges of her senses, but now she could really tell he was there.  Though mostly obscured in shadow, the outline she saw from the corner of her eye was enough.  A tall man, with long silver hair flowing behind him was silently, gradually closing in on them.  There were clearly no puppy-ears on this profile; so…

What was Sesshoumaru of all people doing inside her dream?  Okay, so she’d also just dreamed that she killed a man without an ounce of remorse, but really?

Upon the next clearing, she eased the woman’s body off her shoulder, and untied the sling that cradled her still child, turning to anticipate whatever her strange vision would throw at her next. Really, if this was a dream… no, since it was a dream, why the hell was he being so cautious?  Just out of reach of the moonlight, his unusually bulky form hovered nervously.

“Sesshoumaru, would you pretty-please do me a favor and come revive these two instead of skulking around in the bushes?”  Yet despite the snarky comment — full volume, she was sure — it still sounded hollow and barely audible.  The figure wavered a bit, and took a step or two forward, the moonlight meeting his feet and the creeping up to his knees before he stopped, hovering still just out of sight.  Even if she’d whispered, as a dog-demon he should’ve been able to hear her, right?

In a fit of annoyance, Kagome stomped over to him childishly, grabbing his arm and veritably dragging him back towards her charges, and he did not seem to protest her actions.  A bit of a grimace crossed her face when she realized that the arms she was using to tow him was actually not supposed to be there, but she continued hauling him by it anyway.  Maybe her dream would make it turn out to be a magic trick or a prosthetic.  She stopped abruptly, and spun to look him in the face, pointing behind her emphatically.

 

It wasn’t until that very moment that Kagome realized that it wasn’t Sesshoumaru at all.  It was most definitely the image of his father.

He was already drawing the Tenseiga.  The singing of metal against metal sent an imperceptible shiver down her spine.  He had sharp eyes, something different from both his sons; Sesshoumaru’s were cold, and Inuyasha’s were passionate, but this man…the Lord of the Western Lands… his were regal… noble.  Flickers of pain, like candlelight, flittered across the corners of his eyes, which were focused in front as he raised his sword carefully.  In a single downward swing, and after a small pause, he re-sheathed his sword, and the priestess allowed him to slip from her grip and kneel next to them.

And like a miracle, there was a cry.  The baby was crying. 

The man cradled it affectionately in his arms as the woman’s eyes fluttered open, moving hazily until they landed on him, and then she sat up and hugged him with all her might, moving to shower his forehead with kisses.

“My love!”  A whisper.  The baby was crying loudly, once again fully and newly alive, but she could still hear that breath, filled with every ounce of love the woman could muster.  She leaned back, gazing down at her child and stroking his head, the blanket wrapped around him falling away from his silvery head of hair, a pair of puppy ears springing into view.  Kagome let herself scan the scene critically one more time.

Silver hair and puppy ears. The Great Dog General.  And upon looking closely, she could see the woman’s face, and remember that dirty rotten trick Sesshoumaru had pulled on Inuyasha the first time she’d met him.

_Izayoi_ …!

As if in slow motion, the pure look of salvation on his face faded.  A look of pain bled to replace it, and then… his head slumped against his lover’s shoulder.  Suddenly, the stench of blood was unmistakable.  Izayoi screamed for him, taking her child from his arms as she laid him upon the ground, his blood immediately staining the snow a morbid crimson.

Without thinking.  Even once, much less twice.  Just as she’d always gone to his son’s side automatically, Kagome now went to his.  The somewhat forgotten backpack still on her shoulder gave up a sickly thud as it dropped to the blood-sotted snow, its bottom long stained with mud and all manner of debris now covered in the hue of carnage.  Her medical kit was only as full as it was because, and she only briefly remembered, she hadn’t treated her friends’ injuries after the battle with Naraku.  She removed arrows, cleansed, stitched, patched, bandaged, all as quickly and effectively as she could, his furs and armor and kimono tossed this way and that, and stuffed to create a crude sort of pallet for him to rest on.  Herbs that she’d learned worked only or especially on demons were made into makeshift poultices with handfuls of snow, and when she ran out of bandages, she wasted no time in ripping apart her extra clothing to use in their stead.  

Once, upon a groan of pain, she’d shoved painkillers in a miniature-sized snow-onigiri, just small enough for him to take in a single bite, and had Izayoi feed it to him.  The snow continued to fall, melting to nothing more than cold droplets of water on their skin, speckling their hair white.  Izayoi braced the crying Inuyasha to her breast, wrapping the fire-rat kimono around their shivering forms tightly.

Kagome’s hands were trembling.  They rested atop a broad, pale chest, and through her fingertips, she barely noticed that his heart was beating, because she was more concerned with the fever that was rising.  Even if he wasn’t going to die of blood loss, at this rate hypothermia would set in on him instead.  Even if this was a dream… even though he was long since supposed to be dead already…

She didn’t want him to die.

Bitter tears slipped over her cheeks, a few falling to spatter on the plane of her patient’s stomach as she hovered over him, and she let them do as they pleased.  With her decision reached, she carefully wrapped the kimono and furs back around his body, allowing his armor to loll off into the snow without a second thought.  He was a massive demon, she had to admit; as she pulled him up onto her back carefully, his arms draped over her shoulders and nearly to her waist, and his toes very nearly reached her ankles.  Izayoi, to her credit, gathered her wits and stood also.  Her smooth hands having done much the same thing Kagome had, turning the soft cotton blanket into a satchel to carry her baby in, and she hefted the sopping pack onto her back beneath the kazuki still draped about her shoulders.  At first they trekked slowly.  Kagome was unsure of what to do for lodgings, and Izayoi wouldn’t be able to keep up if she moved much faster.

“If we head northwest—”  Kagome spun around to look at her, startling the woman in her search for a viable solution.  The princess took a breath to steady herself, putting a little more strength into her voice.  “More westerly, and slightly further north from here, I remember my Lord telling me that his castle was there, should I…ever have occasion to go.”

“Understood.  I’ll follow you, but we’ve got to hurry.”  The unsure look on the lady’s face came and went quickly, and without other prompting, she turned on her heel and started in a brisk pace that would take them dangerously close to the burning mansion.  They came close; they could all-too-well see the flames roaring and licking at the posts that still remained in their intended places, the roof already collapsed in upon the rooms beneath. Kagome grunted a little as she shifted the demon’s bulky form on her back, searching for a better purchase on his legs while avoiding getting stabbed in the ribs by the swords still in his waistband.  Sweat was staining her shirt.  Around them, the snow fell straight to the forest floor, without a single gust of wind present to disturb it.  For the second time that night, she told herself: _It’s…  just a dream._

The snapping of branches overhead made her jolt, but the princess kept moving.

“Don’t worry.  It’s just the sap freezing in the trees.”

The miko hoped to high heaven that she was right.

Crunching snow, snapping twigs and footsteps.  Other than their harsh breathing and baby Inuyasha’s occasional cry or gurgle, the forest seemed dead silent.  The kind of quiet that made you worry… simply because nothing was happening.  Kagome subtly checked the Dog-Lord’s pulse, and bit her lip.  It was fluttering softly.

She’d certainly felt that sensation one too many times.  A soft growl escaped her lips.

Like a trigger command, or a signal, the forest came alive.  Subtle sounds of discontent corded together, and soon, it was as loud as waves.  From every corner they were surrounded by battle-ready youkai.  Birds, wolves, and all manner of beasts and men… all kind that she’d ever met here in the Western Lands, baring fangs, claws and swords against her ominously.  A beautiful man with pale green eyes stepped forward, lifting his sword to tap Izayoi’s chin in a delicate show of distaste.

“What have you done to our Lord, human?”

“She hasn’t done anything!  These injuries were caused by Ryuukotsusei and the castle guard!” Kagome interjected, moving to the woman’s side protectively.  The demon seemed to measure her with his eyes, paying no mind as the baby started to whimper and cry.  “I’m serious!  She didn’t do anything!  Put your swords away already!”

“Your fooling will do nothing for this wench’s life, Lady Dog-Demon.  Speak to us properly.”

“I am!  Why don’t you understand?!”  He scowled at her angrily, but the princess spoke before he could attend to her harshly.

“Please, forgive her my lord!  Your Master is gravely injured.  Though she has treated him, the cold is harming him even more.  Please allow us to take him to the castle!”

Cold, seething peridot eyes measured them both, before he motioned a sizable horse-demon forward.  In a matter of moments, the troops melted back into the darkness, and Izayoi was placed roughly upon the steed’s back.

Then… they were running.

One hand holding desperately to the beast’s mane, and the other clutching uncertainly at the kazuki around her shoulders, the Lady closed her eyes against the rushing wind.  Kagome glanced up to ascertain her safety, before she turned to the demon beside her that held the reins.

“I did everything I could, but—”

“If you cannot speak, then do not attempt to speak.  I cannot understand you, and wasting such a precious commodity as time not something this Souki approves of.”

Her mouth snapped shut.  Although she wasn’t able to hear herself very well, she could make out her voice when she spoke.  So why couldn’t he?  For the last time that night, she would think…

_This… is a dream… right?_


	2. Castle

Through the imposing gate, the obsession of servants, and many, many hallways, they finally found themselves at the Lord’s chambers.  Kagome managed to displease “this Souki” yet again when she insisted he remain outside.  She had already decided that, since her voice was apparently…inaccessible, there was no point in trying to talk.  Not that thinking about it made any difference, mind you.

“We’ve gotta warm him up!”  Even if he didn’t understand why her face was burning a bright and shiny red, he could see that she was going to be very obstinate about his access to the room.  Muttering inconsolably, he turned and sat down next to the door, feeling when the girl nodded, and controlling the urge to snap and break something when he heard the door slide shut behind him.  Kagome’s feet whisked across the freezing wooden floors.  She’d made up her mind.

Dream or no dream, she was not going to let that bastard die if she could help it.  She’d unraveled the Fates’ work before, and dammit, she’d do again if she could.

So she stoked the fire, stretched another blanket across the dozen or so already piled above the stripped Dog-Lord, and then whisked the baby Inuyasha away from his mother, pointing at the futon emphatically.  Of course, Izayoi found herself unsure of what the girl wanted.

“Take your clothes off and get in already!  Body heat is our best option at this point!”  The miko jerked ardently the Lady’s obi.  If she couldn’t be heard, as that ‘Souki’ person had said, then she would play as many games of charades as it took to get people to understand.  The princess colored innocently, but moved to follow her silent orders.  With a firm nod, Kagome walked back towards the fireplace, settling down on a pile of furs that served as a nicely plush rug.  The infant in her arms stirred a little, but fell back into an easy sleep.

Okay.   _ Now _ was the time to think about things.

_ So… thinking back, three things stand out.  Today was the day that Inuyasha was born, apparently I can’t speak, and according to that Souki-person, I’m a demon.  And that last one’s even physically impossible.   _ Well, so was the first one, to a right mind, but after a year of bouncing back and forth between the 20th and 16th centuries, she found that—well, for her at least—it wasn’t. __ She winced when she bit the inside of her lip, noting that she was gnawing on an already bloody spot.  Of course, running her tongue along the damage immediately made her rethink her previous assumption that her changing species was impossible.   _ Mmkay, fangs pretty well disqualify me for human status.  Well, the Jewel doesn’t exactly count as physical means, either. _

A few locks of hair, having fallen over her shoulder, found their way into the grip of an unconscious Inuyasha.  It was with a detached sort of…fascination, that she watched it slip and slide silkily over his fingers.  In the firelight it looked positively red, but she was sure that when daylight dawned, it would be as white as the undisturbed snow outside.

So she was, apparently, a demon.  According to Mr. High-and-Mighty outside, she was a dog demon.  That was…doable.

The not speaking thing wasn’t a total tragedy either.  It would just take some getting used-to.

_So…the only real problem is that I’m about 200 years further into the past, right?  Give or take a few decades…_  Kagome observed the newborn in her arms critically.  It was quite obviously a miniature version of her coarse, yet sweet, traveling companion.  No matter how you looked at him.  Oh gawsh, she was feeling the urge to coo and make those stupid noises that mothers made to their new babies.  So… As it stood, none of her people she knew (excepting the one currently asleep in her arms) were even born yet.

Along those subject lines, no, Sesshoumaru would not count.

Okay.  In a couple of centuries, she would be back where she started, right?  But if that were to happen, if she were to just wait, what would happen with Kikyou?  Would she even exist if her soul was still trapped in a Kagome-body?  What about her original self that would travel through the Bone Eater’s Well?

What the hell was she supposed to do in the meantime?

Kagome’s mind stopped on that thought.  Like a bell, it seemed to ring a death toll in her psyche, and the rest of her thoughts and feelings deadpanned.

The Jewel was…still hanging around her neck.  However, it was no longer satiny pink-purple—only deep, blood red.

She wished she didn’t wonder why.

 

***

 

Long about dawn, the Dog-General’s fever broke.  Izayoi slept on beside him, unawares to the decidedly blessed turn of events. Kagome brushed aside the bangs sticking to his forehead, watching him blankly.

She hadn’t slept a wink.

Behind her, Inuyasha was beginning to rouse; he shifted atop the furs that’d been turned into his makeshift cradle.  He would wake soon, and be hungry; it was amazing he had slept as long as he did, though Izayoi fed him again before she went to bed.  He was just beginning to make dissatisfied noises when the princess’s eyes flickered open—as if on instinct—and she scrambled up and over to him, half-asleep and still on autopilot.  Kagome was moderately glad she’d kept the room warm, since the Lady hadn’t put on anything before going to her newborn’s side.  She shushed him gently as he began to cry, but he was soon too busy filling his belly to be upset about anything.

Too bad he didn’t stay that way.

The young woman giggled a little as she remembered all the mealtime war zones that had erupted, usually involving Shippo stealing some of Inuyasha’s food or vice-versa.  The priestess laid a hand against her patient’s forehead, using her opposite hand to compare his temperature to hers.  No fever at all.  So long as it didn’t return, he would likely be fit for anything in a few days’ time.

She breathed a prayer heavenward, in thanks for the amazing recovering abilities of youkai-kind.

Grabbing the princess’ discarded kimono and standing, she took the few steps to cross the room and draped it delicately over the woman’s shoulders.  Inuyasha continued to suckle at her breast, looking up at the female with half-lidded golden eyes that told her he was still too sleepy to do anything other than eat and return to slumber.  Absolutely adorable…

Izayoi looked back over her shoulder, more awake now, and they found themselves quietly smiling together.  Finally though, Kagome gave a nod of respect and turned to go.  There had to be some food around somewhere.

A surprising discovery was made upon opening the room’s outer door.  In the exact same position she’d left him, sitting back-to-wall, was Souki.  He gave her a grumpy look which proved his bid for sleep had fared no better than her own, but his voice was simply tired, asking what she wanted and nothing more.

Maybe he’d smelled his Lord’s fever break.

After a moment of contemplating how to answer in a manner he could understand, Kagome patted her stomach lightly, and then pointed back towards the room.  His expression didn’t change much; from grumpy to observing, in the span of a few seconds, a critical sort of acceptance seemed to fall into place.  She mildly wondered why.

“You should bathe first.  The stench of sickness and that half-breed whelp are clinging all over that strange kimono of yours.”  Kagome glanced down at her school uniform.  Though apparently the injuries done to her person in the battle with Naraku were long since healed and gone, her clothes were still left utterly destroyed.  Dirt, grime and blood were smeared all over her, and her undergarments were peeking through in a few places where she’d had some rather narrow escapes.  Undoubtedly, since he was obviously a warrior himself, he could ignore such things with ease.  She could care less about smelling like Inuyasha (actually, she rather liked the way he smelled, no matter what demons might say), but she couldn’t argue about how nice a good, long bath would be.  After giving a nod, she threw a purposeful glance back towards the room, and he stood, bowing his head to her slightly. “Do not worry.  I shall see to my Lord’s needs.”

Her face screwed into a disapproving look. Irritation was creeping back into his expression, but he conceded to her.  “And of course I will see to the human woman.”

Well, it was probably the best she’d get out of him, so she let it go at that.

Souki clapped his hands, and a small youkai, a field mouse by guess, scuttled out of the early morning shadows.  “Take the Lady to the bathhouse.”

“Understood.”

Kagome fell in step behind the rodent, a little stunned.  The mature, distinctly masculine voice he’d used was very unexpected, in light of his…stature.  But as he passed down the hall in a very dignified manner, her opinion changed to include ‘It will probably suit him well, once I’m used to it.’  She leaned over and tapped him on the shoulder, at which his pointy little face turned to look up at her reservedly, his pace unchanging and still sure.  She pointed at him.  Of course, such a simple gesture didn’t quite convey her thoughts, and he gave her a questioning cock of his non-existent eyebrows.

Kagome had never been questioned by a mouse before.  Suddenly, the humor of that thought was much too much.

 

***

 

He couldn’t hear her laughter.  As he had observed the night before when they met her, the demoness apparently had no voice.  Yet no matter how you looked at it, she was giggling.  He was being laughed at by a strange, rare, beautiful guest for no discernible reason, and he just couldn’t figure out how to react to that.  After a few seconds she wiped at the tears that had escaped her oddly blue eyes, smudging the blood and dirt on her face into an even more disgraceful mess.  He was beginning to feel foolish for being so cautious of her, simply because…well, because she had no caution of others.  “My… name?”

She looked a little startled, but then smiled kindly and nodded.

“… Kuroda.”  He could tell when she mouthed his name, and it came out, apparently, as Kuroda-san.  The words that followed were definitely ‘Yoroshiku ne!,’ and he found himself replying before giving anything a second thought.  “Likewise, milady; but the title is unnecessary when addressing me.”

She cocked her head to the side.  They had somehow, in the past couple of minutes, come to a stop; she was now kneeling on the floor, her hands folded neatly across her lap while she faced him.  Obviously, she was asking him ‘Why?,’ and it felt a little foolish to answer something that hadn’t been asked, and yet so obviously had been.  “As a dog demon—a species that is nearly dead, and yet rules over the West—it is clear that your social status would be well beyond mine as a foot soldier.”

She seemed to think about that.  Then she rolled her eyes emphatically, and stuck out her hand, as if continuing their introduction that had been interrupted by his lesson to her in manners.  He hesitated, and then  wrapped his paw around her pinky.  It was the best he could manage with their comparative sizes.  He wasn’t about to consider allowing her to shake his arm.  An indulgent smile crossed her face, as if she understood exactly what he was thinking, and she curled in the rest of her fingers.  He felt ridiculously like he was making a pinky promise.

He released her finger and stepped back, immediately resuming his brisk pace down the hall.  This was one of the rare times that he was incredibly thankful for the thick, deep gray fur covering his face; if he’d had a human countenance, the senseless blush on his cheeks would’ve been indubitably more prominent.  The very thought was, to say the least, absurdly embarrassing.

The halls were long.  Through a few shoji doors, a tidy garden, and over small, ornate bridge, they came to a moderately sized building that stretched around a natural hot spring.  When Kuroda looked back at his silent charge, he wasn’t sure if she was surprised or pleased.  In either instance, it could be considered a good reaction.  “Please, take your time milady.  A chambermaid will be sent with a change for you, and our seamstress will be given your…kimono…to mend.”

_ Actually, Souki-taishou will probably intercept and shred it… _

From a noble’s perspective, the…thing…she was wearing could hardly be considered proper dress for a woman of high standing.  Even though it could most definitely be fixed, it was hardly appropriate for a guest of his Lord’s court, as it was so revealing.  The female appeared to be inspecting the carvings upon the threshold, but as if she only then realized he was still there, she turned and nodded lightly, another small smile on her face, and then disappeared beyond the doorway.

 

***

 

The castle rumor mill was in overdrive.  Strange guests had come to call, and everyone from the old lady who mended the rice paper on the doors to the little children that scrubbed the floors were absolutely giddy with excitement.  Out of hearing range from the nobility, everyone was whispering.  Kagome perched on the edge of the castle’s tiled roof, a spot within earshot but out of view from the site where the maids scrubbed the clothes.  She was just listening to the gossip to pass the time, a couple of chatty maids providing entertainment while they remained oblivious to the third party.

“I heard the Lady doesn’t allow anyone to see the Lord, even Souki-sama himself!”

She had learned over the last three days that ‘this Souki’ was Kourou Souki, the Dog-Lord’s second in command, and a horse demon.  In fact, she’d also discovered via the grapevine that the Dog-Lord’s real name was Touga.

“Kaya, have you heard that Inutaisho-sama also has another son?  I wonder if her Ladyship is the mother!”

Kagome had heard that a few times.  The first time, she’d choked in shock, nearly giving the scullery maids she’d been eavesdropping on a heart attack.

“But…what if it belongs to the human we’ve been smelling?”

The two sobered at the thought.  Kagome was pretty certain of what was going through their minds, and in an displeasing sense, she knew that telling Souki to keep the others away from the room had been the correct choice.  She’d had quite a time telling him that, since it’d been such a complex idea—charades isn’t an easy game after all, even with a rather perceptive soldier as the guessing party—but she had eventually made him understand, and he begrudgingly agreed.  Lady Izayoi and baby Inuyasha had yet to be seen by anyone aside from herself, Souki and his troops, which had already been commanded to silence.  Those that had seen them at arrival had been too frantic over the fact that there was an exotic and rare demoness amongst them, and that their Lord was ill enough to be unconscious from it.

Swinging her legs down, she dropped from the roof, catching the eaves just in time to swing herself under the overhang and onto the polished floorboards.  The maids that had once again picked up their conversation continued to be blissfully unaware to the fact that she’d ever been there.  As she passed down the walk, a few chambermaids on their way to the kitchens bowed to her respectfully.

“Is there anything we can get for you, milady?”

Kagome shook her head.  The maids smiled gently and moved on.  It had taken a little while to get everyone to understand that she hadn’t a voice.  Now they either understood or simply didn’t mind; she wasn’t quite sure which.  She wound her way through the very classic mansion, more accustomed now to its luxury than she was at first.  The wood beneath her feet was cool and smooth, and shimmered a little beneath the early afternoon sun—a testament to the staff’s attentiveness.

A hallway turned into crossroad, and she took the left path without hesitation.  A staircase on the right, another left turn… as confusing as it had seemed at first, Kagome was now at ease enough to navigate the castle on her own.  Soon she could see Souki’s shock of deep red hair as he continued to stand guard by his Lord’s chambers.  She nodded to him as she slid open the door, and he stiffly nodded in return.  The second set of doors was cracked open a little, and the priestess could see the glow of firelight wavering upon the walls.  She made sure to pause and rap her knuckles on the frame lightly.

“…  Come in…”  Izayoi’s voice sounded unsure, as it always did.  It seemed that Souki scared her every time he opened that blasted fanged mouth of his.  The demoness stepped into the room, not stopping at the futon where her patient rested, but continuing on to the opposite wall, where she flung open the windows, allowing the frigid but otherwise beautiful day to flood the room with a refreshing chill.

With the room full of sunshine, she turned to observe her charges.  Touga was blinking dazedly, slowly adjusting his vision to the new light source.  He was almost well; she expected him to be fully recovered by late the next day.  Amazing, for someone who’d been at death’s door three days ago.  Kagome breathed deeply.

What would change…since Touga lived?

Izayoi was perched on the futon next to her mate, Inuyasha wrapped tightly in the fire-rat haori that his father had made especially for him.  It was much less faded than the one she knew so well, but it was still exactly the same as what he would wear in the future.  The baby Inuyasha…was so small…even by the standards of a human he would be a bit small.  But oh, what a smile!  She’d never seen him smile so much before!  The three of them seemed to almost glow with happiness.

She had to almost consciously quash the bug of jealousy attempting to worm its way into her heart.

“Is something wrong?” the princess asked.  Kagome stopped stomping on her personal (mental) cockroach and came back to reality.  Shaking her head, she took the room in a couple of strides, kneeling down on the edge of the futon and checking for a temperature on her patient.  He’d been very obedient since their initial…tiff.  The first time, all manner of things had gone wrong.  It was something that led the priestess to discover that she had indeed inherited the beastly strength of a real demon.

Thankfully, the floor had been easily fixed…but Souki hadn’t been a happy camper.  At all.

Touga kept his eyes on her warily every time she entered the room, even though he knew she had saved Izayoi, and the princess had also told him that, in turn, she had saved his life as well.  The miko marked it off as her being a demon.  A rare, unknown dog-demon with no voice and odd medicine, and inexplicable habits.  She tested places on his flesh where he had been wounded, satisfied to feel he new skin covering them properly.  She showed him a newly-fanged smile, sorely tempted to say, “Well, I think you’ll live.”  Since she had no voice, there wasn’t really any point, though.

In Izayoi’s arms, Inuyasha giggled and reached for the young woman.  They had all marveled at how the boy adored her; “Still an infant,” Touga had teased, “and already looking for the love of his life.”

Kagome was glad she hadn’t been expected to comment.  Inuyasha’s love life would probably be a sore spot for all eternity.

“Souki!”  At Touga’s call, the demon was inside almost instantaneously.  He knelt on the floor, his braided hair falling to the side in a fiery rope.  “Take Izayoi and my son to the seamstress.  Have that old spider make the finest clothes Japan has ever seen.”

Souki voiced a swift agreement.  His respect for the Dog General was apparently greater than his disdain for humans, as he properly escorted Izayoi out the door, shutting it behind her.  They could still hear the footsteps out in the hall, and their scents were still clear; Izayoi was quite nervous about being alone with only the spiteful Souki for protection, but Souki was all business and apparently minded not in the least what he was guarding.  With them gone, Touga turned a critical eye to Kagome.  He seemed to appraise what she was wearing, rather than her person.  She had already come to the conclusion that her school uniform had been put out of its misery; she now wore a faded red winter kimono, but she wasn’t complaining.  She’d practically had to destroy something to get the point across that she would not wear one of those heavy silk confections they were trying to stuff her in.  This was enough; she wasn’t nobility, nor did she have any inclination to make out like she was.

“I’ll try to keep it to ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions, since you insist on being mute.”  Touga’s back was rigid, and she watched carefully for any sign that he was straining himself.  “Do you mean any harm to my family or territory?”

No.  She shook her head to indicate her answer.  It received no reaction from her inquisitor.

“Were you sent to find Izayoi?”

She thought about it for a moment.  Yes.

“By whom, if you can manage it?”  His eyes were darker and sharper than before, and she could almost see his hackles rising.  Kagome swallowed, and then pointed to the blood-red jewel at her throat.  “… The one who made that?”

She nodded.  It wasn’t untrue.  The Jewel was giving her the chance to change things, and Midoriko, the Jewel’s maker, was the one who made it possible.

“Are you from here?”

Not from this time, not exactly this area… pretty much not ‘this’ version of Japan.  _  No. _

“A foreigner?”  _  No! _  She shook her head emphatically.  She’d never even been over seas!  “Then where are you from?”

He was talking to himself; musing about her while looking upon her face as though he’d discovered a very confusing little creature, and had no idea what to do with it.  She smiled sadly.

_ Honestly?  Your guess is as good as mine. _

When Izayoi and Inuyasha returned to the room, the clothes in which they were arrayed made them shine.  Kagome smiled widely at them from her spot on the windowsill.

Only Kagome noticed that the baby’s roving eyes stopped on her.  As…almost as if he’d been mystified.

The disturbing moment was over in a split second.  She would never dare let herself think on what that look was—or what had caused it—ever again.

“You look breathtaking, my love.”  Touga’s earnest praise earned a wild blush upon the cheeks of his lover.  “Your timing is good.  I had just one more question for our mysterious savior.”

“You haven’t been questioning her all this time, have you?!”

“Of course not.”  With his composure, she would never know that it was because he’d overstrained himself and had to rest.  “Child, you are a dog-demon.  You must be of noble blood, since there are so few of us, correct?”

She hesitated.   _ No. _  Touga looked confused, and she couldn’t really blame him.

“Then what are you?”

He hadn’t really expected an answer.  It was one of the rhetorical questions that had inundated his inquiry from the beginning.  But after giving him a rather empty, hopeless sort of look, she stood and walked across the room, gently taking the now silk-clad infant from the princess’ arms.  Kagome knelt down before him, presenting him with the babe, a rather complicated look on her face.

“… You can’t be a hanyou.  You don’t smell like one.”  Kagome shook her head as she placed the child in his arms.  With a single finger, she traced a path through the air, first pointing to Izayoi, then to the Shikon no Tama, then Inuyasha, and finally, to Touga himself.  He visibly blanched.  “You can’t possibly mean… you were once human?”

_Yes_.

When Izayoi came to sit next to him, she too was sickeningly pale.

“So…the maker of that bauble you wear…the one who sent you after Izayoi…turned you into a demon?”   _ Yes.   _ Touga’s hold tightened around the child he was holding, and a rueful look distorted his face.  “Oh…oh, how I wish you could tell me why…”

Another hesitation.  Kagome swept his bangs to the side, causing the Dog-Lord to look at her.  Ocean-blue eyes looked down, and he looked also.

Looked…to where her hand rested above the infant’s heart.


	3. Voice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Sesshoumaru, since you were so eager to see me this time, I’ll reward you. Please give the young lady at the window a name.”
> 
> At the request, which Kagome was now mentally cursing, gilded eyes narrowed on her. The priestess was sure he could smell fear on her. Hell, she could smell it herself.
> 
> “I’m sure the lady demoness has a name of her own.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm planning to reformat the story as a series; this will be the last chapter of the first part, _Legends in the Making_. The next part, _War & Pieces_, will be going up soon; the last chapter for that section is still in progress, so please have patience while I try to work on it. <3
> 
> I hope y'all enjoy this story, and the rest of the series to come!

From the moment he entered the gate she could smell him.  It was a creature full of rage, barely contained.  This was someone powerful enough to lay waste to most—if not all—of the castle.

Kagome was only a little alarmed.  Since Touga was still calmly doing his paperwork, a pair of rather bookish reading glasses perched on the end of his nose, she assumed that whatever it was, it whatever it was, it wasn’t a threat… yet.  So she continued to sit on the windowsill, her now habitual spot to gravitate.  Even if she was at ease in the castle, being indoors was still something she had become less and less accustomed to over the years; and since she wasn’t in the mood for gossip at the moment (and the snow was once again falling), she would have to settle for being this close to the great outdoors.  A din was picking up at the end of the hall; whatever guest had just arrived had known exactly where he wanted to go.  She could hear the distinct voices of the butler, a couple of maids, and Souki all clamoring around him, and the fact that Souki seemed to have no effect on him was something very different.  Everyone except Touga and those he deemed special cases (such as herself and the Lady Izayoi) were subject to the horse general.

But when the door opened, she could see why.

A tiny shiver of fear tickled down her spine.  Memories of near-death experiences and many ill encounters had instilled it in her.  Even just the sight of his long, silvery hair and golden eyes could set her heart pounding.  Touga watched out of the corner of his eye, observing her reaction even as his eldest son stormed into his office.

“Father—!”

“Welcome home, Sesshoumaru.  Have you been out terrorizing someone again?”  The Dog-Lord said it as if it were nothing, but his son’s eyes sharpened and blazed with anger.

“And I can see that the rumors are true; you really did bring that human woman home with you.”

“Izayoi is my mate.  I would not leave her behind.”  The elder youkai appeared to go back to perusing his paperwork, though he was still attuned to the room.  “Sesshoumaru, since you were so eager to see me this time, I’ll reward you.  Please give the young lady at the window a name.”

At the request, which Kagome was now mentally cursing, gilded eyes narrowed on her.  The priestess was sure he could smell fear on her.  Hell, she could smell it herself.

“I’m sure the lady demoness has a name of her own.”

“She can’t speak.”

“Cannot she write?”

“She has tried.  Unfortunately, it appears something prevents her from doing so.”  He peeked over the edge of his spectacles in a randomly familiar and humorous manner; she might have appreciated it more if the situation were different.  “I’ll be leaving the young ladyship in your care, Sesshoumaru.  I can’t always be keeping an eye on her.”

“Please, I’m begging you, do  _ not _ leave me with him!” she screeched, shooting off the windowsill, to stand before Touga.  She knew he couldn’t hear her, but still!  He was trying to leave her with someone that had already attempted—on multiple occasions—to kill her!  As if she could just say  _ Yoroshiku onegai shimasu _ ~ *heart* and be on her way with it!  A pitying smile quirked the edge of the Dog General’s lips, observing her lips that begged with words he could barely understand but not hear.

“Calm yourself, Ladyship.  Even if he is disdainful of humans, you are a rare and beautiful demoness.  He will show you respect properly.”  At the last line, he sent a blank sort of stare over her shoulder that, she was sure, was supposed to be a threat to ensure it was so.  “And I can’t leave you to wander the castle alone.  You need a companion, and we cannot always be by your side.  I’ve rather wanted someone to stick to this rogue son of mine anyway; he wanders much, and I see him little.”

Well, she’d lost the argument.  It hadn’t really been an argument in the first place, mind you, but still.  She glanced back over her shoulder hesitantly.  If she had the guts, she would have guessed that this younger Sesshoumaru was sulking.  She would never say it.  Ever.

But she might laugh at it later.

Turning around, she took a few hesitating steps so that she stood in front of the demon, and bowed politely.  She couldn’t introduce herself, so this would have to do; but she waited for him to say something, her eyes still on the floor, and after a bit she glanced up at him.  The impassive façade that she was so familiar with was in place again.  After yet another minute or so, he turned, stiffly bowed and said a few polite, completely hypocritical words to Izayoi (he was congratulating her on the birth of her son and mating his father; obviously he didn’t mean a word of it), and then turned towards the door with a few swift strides.  When Kagome didn’t follow, he turned at looked at her from over his shoulder.

“Follow me if you wish, Kou.”

He disappeared through it then as if he’d had no intention of waiting for her from the beginning.  Touga’s softly prodding voice made her follow him hesitantly into the hall, where she found him already surrounded by those that had followed him up from the entrance.  The maids were asking him fervently to remove his shoes, the attendants were insisting he wash the kimono he was in immediately, and Souki was on the verge of throttling him…over paperwork, it seemed.  Goodness, nobles had an awful lot of paperwork to handle.

Kagome tried her best to stay out of their way.  She felt incredibly bothersome, but Touga said to stick to him, and Sesshoumaru said to follow.  In the middle of his argument, Souki paused and turned to look at her, a rather complicated look on his face.

“Is there something you need, ladyship?”

_ A way home would be nice. _  She shook her head, and after a moment, vaguely gestured to Sesshoumaru.  There was a distinctly grumpy look that passed over the young lord’s face when he noticed it.

“Father has put her in my charge.”

“Understood, my lord.”  Without another thought, he returned to the importance of keeping up with paperwork.  “There are a few very important treaties in your room concerning the Dragon Clan; there have been messengers sighted entering our territory from Ryuukotsusei’s domain, so please try to attend to them right away, my lord.”

“Souki.”  The main trio startled, having not noticed Touga come to his doorway.  There was a dark look on the Western Lord’s features when he addressed them.  “Be very cautious of the people from Ryuukotsusei’s tribe from now forward.  The night I went to Izayoi, I defeated that blasted dragon and sealed him into a cliff.  Would’ve killed him, but I wouldn’t have made it in time if I stayed.”

Kagome shivered, and inched a little closer to Souki.  The memory of Ryuukotsusei was still there in the back of her mind; where Inuyasha learned the Bakuryuuha, and learned how to create his own Wind Scar.  The sight of his face twisted with demonic bloodlust still haunted the edges of her mind.  The sight of the battlefield crumbling, the demon screaming and falling to pieces, his blood spattering gruesome and red across the cliffs, draining down in dirty maroon rivulets to puddle on the ground.  Both sons would surpass their father.  Both would become fearsome warriors.  However, battlefields were still something that seemed to weigh on her, like the last one she saw.  She could remember Ayame’s face, unconscious and pale, and contorted in pain.  She could hear Inuyasha’s shout, as she disappeared into the light of the Shikon no Tama.

“My lady, what is the matter?”  Souki’s uneven voice shook her out of the memory.  Kagome touched her face, and discovered that she’d started crying.  After a moment, she startled and scrubbed at her cheeks with the sleeves of her kimono fiercely, smiling and pumping her arms a little as proof that she was fine.  The general frowned.  “My lady, do you know something?”

The smile… little by little… dissipated.  She let her eyes fall to the floor, and kind of… shrugged.

_ I don’t know what to do to help.  I just know the future I came from had Inuyasha killing him after Naraku destroyed Touga’s seal.  That’s more than two hundred years from now, though. _  The demoness sighed heavily.  Suddenly, she felt very tired.

Very sleepy.

Actually, things were going black.  She could vaguely hear the tones of Souki’s voice, and it was definitely his arms that wrapped around her waist—they smelled of him.  Smelled of horses and metal, and very slightly, the tang of salt.

Before her eyes however, all she saw was a woman that she knew she knew… and then all was gone in sleep.

***

She woke up in a room lightly furnished.

It reminded her of the princess’s room in the old castle because of the small vanity, the few baubles scattered tastefully on its surface, and the two mirrors on opposite sides of the room—one for make-up, and the other for full-length modeling and kitsuke.  A lovely kimono was hanging up, spread wide to show off the woodblock-painting style bamboo and sparrows embroidered into its lush, parchment-colored fabric.

As she stared at it, Kagome reached up and touched the Jewel, where it still hung lifelessly around her neck.  Before, it had always thrummed with the pure magic of a priestess… but now, it felt as though the thing were dead.  As though it weren’t anything but a glass bead, like the fake little souvenirs in her grandfather’s ridiculous tourist trap of a shop.  The strange thing was…

She was sure it was Midoriko’s face… that appeared before she blacked out.

Outside the door there was a rustle, a stilling, and then the sound of polished wood sliding quietly against a companion piece.  The scent that was surrounding her, though before she hadn’t been paying attention, was definitely Souki.  Sure enough, in a few seconds, he crept into her line of vision, his face tensed with worry lines as his braid fell over a shoulder.  The miko seemed to space out for a moment, staring at his face.  It was the first time she’d had a moment to simply look at him, and now that she did… he seemed young.  A little  _ too _ young, really.  If Sesshoumaru of the future was about nineteen in human maturity, she supposed Souki would be about twenty-two.  He was hesitating to say anything, and the frown lines were deepened, and he was making something seem very complicated even though she couldn’t think of anything nearly so horrible at the moment…  Yet before she could even attempt to convey her thoughts, he scooted back on the tatami and bowed his forehead almost to the ground in apology.

“I apologize, Kou-sama.  I did not know that asking you such a question would place so much strain on you.”

_ So Sesshoumaru-sama told him my new name… or probably Touga-sama.   _ She reached out across the floor, but he was so far away that she could barely touch his bangs with the tips of her fingers.  It felt as though she didn’t make any sound at all when she rolled over, but Souki startled and looked up at her anyway as she pulled herself closer on her elbows.  They ended up very close, she supposed.  Really though, all she was thinking about was indicating that she didn’t blame him for anything.

Without thinking too much, she just kind of tapped her forehead against his.  Very lightly; it barely ghosted his skin, but when she pulled back, the look on his face was such a mix that all she could gather…was that he understood he’d been forgiven, but didn’t particularly know why.  Kagome found herself sapped again just from that little bit of strain, and she let her head rest on the floor, half in and half out of her futon.  It was with a sort of half-consciousness that she felt Souki move her back onto the fluffy down mattress again, and he carefully pulled the quilt up around her shoulders, just beneath her chin.

She was asleep again before she knew it.

***

Kagome awoke in the same sparsely furnished room, completely refreshed.  She hadn’t been this well rested since the last time she’d been with Inuyasha alone before the battle with Naraku.  Her brain skipped over that thought quickly as possible, refusing to focus any closer on the images of her beloved, puppy-eared hanyou.  Doing so would make her cry. 

She nodded.  _  Yes, any further thought on my time with Inuyasha is forbidden.  It’ll definitely start the waterworks. _

Grabbing the top layer of her faded red kimono, she wrapped it around herself, and with some difficulty, tied the equally faded black carnation-patterned obi around her middle.  She touched her hair, ran her fingers through it, and then tied it up in a ponytail.   _ I’ll wash it tonight, and then I can wear it down. _

When she opened her door into the hall of the castle, it didn’t take long to realize her current location; it was the large room opposite her host.  There was a pause in her actions as she haltingly came to terms with that thought, and then she slipped out and shut the door behind her.  Surely this was supposed to be Izayoi’s apartment.

Her nose filled with scents, she had only to choose one to follow.  The most appealing one was the scent of roasting meat, and she felt her stomach complain as the scents of spices wafted up with it.  It was decided without stipulation that dinner was top priority.

Kagome liked the way she could hear the difference in her footsteps.  Before, she’d tried to soften them for Inuyasha’s sake; however, human ears could only tell so much.  Now, she could tell exactly how loud she was being.  The priestess turned it into a game: how quiet could she be?  How far through the mansion could she sneak before being discovered?  The maiden snickered and took the stairs in two soundless leaps.  The castle workers she passed in the hallway all had relieved looks on their faces and greeted her softly.  News of her collapse had spread it seemed, but she didn’t mind too badly.

When she finally made it to the kitchen, it appeared that dinner had already been served for the night; the roasting meat was the servants’ fare, and one half ate while the other half cleaned, and they alternated after a short while, each person taking his own dish and placing it in a large tub to be carried out to wash.  She moved in silently, still enjoying her game, and dipped out a bowl of stew and was halfway done before anyone realized she’d entered.  She laughed as they flustered in her presence, though she couldn’t make any snarky comments to tease them.

She simply sat there, smiling and eating, eyes sparkling in amusement.  They rushed to assist her, but she waved them off, giving indications that they should all return to their previous activities.  One little demoness that served as a scullery maid appeared with a nearly empty basket of bread, trembling as she brought it before the honored guest.  With a whiff, Kagome could easily guess why; this was ‘day-old bread,’ meant for the servants.  That was fine.  Bread in the future lasted a good week without going bad, what was a day?  She selected one of the loaves, neither large nor small, and smiled at the little girl, holding it up in thanks.

It took some effort, but they did eventually return to their duties.  After she had finished the soup, the new demoness sat and nibbled at her bread, careful not to let any crumbs fall on the table.  Their activities became boisterous after a while, and their working-class humor started to show as they cracked ribald jokes and flirted and sang.  They were a team; if she wagered a guess, she would say they had been together a very long time at that.  She felt herself fading into the background as they slipped into their usual routine, and that was the way she wanted it.

The little scullery maid that brought out the bread was barely half the height of the broom she was pushing, and a boy a bit older than her came and took it from her hands, offering her the dustpan instead.  A couple of older men were singing horribly off-key on purpose, and dancing around goofily, to which a woman (Kagome had the distinct feeling one of them was her husband) came over for the specific purpose of giving them a lashing—with a twisted towel.  The quietest was a young man of about 15 (well, in human appearance, at least), who quietly scrubbed the tables of the dining hall, stacking up the cushions as he went so they could be taken out, beaten for dust, and aired.  He did not pay attention to any of the ruckus—not to the off-key men, or the little girl doing grown-up work, or even to Kagome, sitting at the table across the way and taking up space in the midst of their ordinary chaos.

After a bit, what at first seemed like a great amount of noise dulled in her ears; it became less sharp, and fuzzy almost, as her focus began to wander.

_ I miss… ordinary.  And chaos.  I miss it. _

_ The day in and day out of running after Naraku’s shadow, the three-times-a-day fights between Shippo-chan and Inuyasha for snacks, the five-times-daily Sango-chan Slap for Miroku-sama’s wandering hands and eyes… it’s not the same, being here. _

_ Ah, well, of course it isn’t!  They’re… not here.  Inuyasha’s here… but he isn’t the same.  Even Sesshoumaru-sama isn’t completely the same.  I don’t know how old Kouga-kun and Ayame-chan are, but they’d be close enough in age to Inuyasha that they would be infants or toddlers right now, I’m sure. _

_ It feels different from the first time I went down the well.  There’s… no going back this time, is there? _

**_That would be correct._ **

Kagome startled, and glanced around.  The room was dark?  She hadn’t noticed.  Then again, it didn’t feel like she was sitting on something solid, either.  The fleeting voice that she’d caught was feminine, but rough; an old speech pattern like should have been used of a lord echoed with those words.

_ Who’s there? _

**_None but I, child._ **

_ And you are…? _

**_You saw my face before for but a moment did you not?  Call my name, and I will show myself._ **

…  Her name?  In the back of her mind, vague and distant memories crept out of the dust and forgotten corners—a maiden the bright grey-blue of crystal, absolutely radiant, and clothed in soldier’s armor, bearing a sword and bow…

_ Midoriko? _

**_That’s right._ ** Like foxfire, she burned into existence in the darkness, and behind her rose a sphere not unlike a full, blood-colored moon.  Yet inside that sphere was a horror—a great demon akin to a dragon cast a horrifying silhouette against the shell, and it writhed within its confines, roaring fearsomely with rage.   **_You tread a very fine line when you made a wish, child.  If you had simply wished upon the Jewel without calling my name, this would have ended disastrously._ **

Kagome grimaced.  _  I see.  Does that mean I’m still safe though?  No laws of physics broken yet? _

**_Of physics no, but of time, yes._ ** Midoriko’s solemn reply made her mouth run dry.  She couldn’t find a reply for that one.   **_There will be many difficulties for you to overcome.  Your wish was to rewrite history for those you hold dear, and the root of all begins with Inuyasha.  You won’t be able to return to your time ever again, child._ **

_ And talking?  I mean, I could probably get by with being mute forever, but I can’t even write right now!  It’s like I forget what words even look like when I stare at a page.   _ The woman smiled wanly, and it was beautiful on her.  Kagome had never seen such a beautiful woman before to be honest, but that sad, fading smile added more to that beauty still.

**_Alas, it should be a long, long time before your speech will return._ **

The demon huffed.   _ Yeah, I guessed as much.  You don’t have to tell me everything.  What’s going to happen to the Jewel now? _

She shook her head.   **_It will remain as your treasure.  For now, it serves me and assists me in harmonizing your holy and demonic powers.  With time, I suppose it will become dormant.  All that remains inside is the demon that was sealed together with me; what will become of him, I can only guess._ **

Kagome didn’t know what to say about that.  She could’ve been more shocked at the situation, but after so many years of being shocked, she couldn’t really find it in her to be surprised anymore.

_ I suppose turning me into a demon was for some specific purpose?   _ Kagome almost laughed when Midoriko looked a little guilty.

**_I suppose there might have been other ways to go about it, but this served the purpose best.  Your soul needed to be rewritten, so that it would not be the same as your former self.  If you had still borne it, neither your previous incarnation Kikyo, nor your ‘future’ self would be able to exist.  Time would be increasingly disrupted, instead of only changed.  In order for you to remain cognizant at all times and not disrupt the flow of souls, it was necessary._ **

_ …  That’s a really long-winded way to say that the same soul can’t exist in the same place twice or the space-time continuum will rip in half.  I get you, I get you.  It was necessary, right?   _ Kagome felt the distinct urge to give her a raspberry but didn’t.  Midoriko looked chagrined, an awkward grin on her lips.  In a distinctly unladylike gesture, she pulled her legs up to sit Indian-style, elbows resting on her knees. 

**_Well, I suppose you are from a place where this is more easily understood.  As it stands, I will mediate between your powers for as long as you need me,_ ** she said simply.  Kagome’s skepticism wasn’t phased a bit.

_ How long is ‘as long as I need you’? _ The priestess’s serious expression hardened, but the image became fuzzy, as if she were slipping out of a dream.

**_You should hope it will be forever, young Kagome.  If one power disappears, your entire balance will be…_ **


End file.
